Four demonstrators arrested

Police on Monday arrested four people during demonstration of drivers on strike a junction on the main-road from La to the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

The arrest followed a scuffle between the police and a group of drivers and the youth at La when the police tried to clear a roadblock the drivers mounted to draw attention to what they called "harassment by the Police" among other concerns that resulted in the strike action.

The windscreens of two of the Police new ?Pajero? vehicles were smashed, and at least three persons, including a 17-year-old JSS pupil were hurt when the Police fired tear gas to disperse the rowdy crowd.

Miss Comfort Obih, the JSS three pupil of Osu Manhaean JSS who fell unconscious after a tear gas hit her was treated at the La Polyclinic, while Mr Christian Ako Nai, who also fell unconscious was resuscitated by relations who were then around.

The third person, Ashitey Amarh, 20, who said he met the scene on his return from the beach claimed he was hurt in the forehead and had been treated and discharged from the La Polyclinic.

Chief Superintendent Kofi Boakye, Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, who led the Police Force to clear the road-blocks warned the demonstrators not to take the law into their own hands, saying the police would deal with any person or group of persons who held public demonstrations contrary to the public order law.

He said democracy did not mean mob rule and warned that the Police were prepared to contain any situation that would breach the peace. ii Quarshie Gene, Chairman of the La Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union speaking to the GNA dissociated the drivers of the branch from the demonstration and showed an unsigned letter purported to have been written by a group calling itself New Tema Station Positive Concerned Drivers Association calling on drivers in the metropolis to embark on a strike action to demand an amicable solution by the Police to traffic offences the drivers committed.

Nii Gene said in as much as there were several issues, including the need to reconsider a 300 per cent upward adjustment insurance fees, and the need to raise commercial transport fares to meet the rising costs of spare parts, the union, in no way supported the strike action and thus members of the GPRTU have their vehicles on the road.